A New Year
by HowCouldThisHappenToMe
Summary: The silence was broken in an instant when a loud pop sounded next to his ear and colorful pieces of paper flew past his head. "Happy birthday, Ace."


**To be perfectly honest, this was another spur-of-the-moment kind of things, but it was fun and cute to write. This mostly sparked because I decided to give a birthday to the character I've created, Hotaru, and then I thought of how Ace's birthday is on New Year's Day, and probably overlooked. And how he thinks he shouldn't have been born. So, this came about. I hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or its characters. I only have OCs that get thrown in.**

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It was the first day of the new year, though there weren't many among Whitebeard's crew who fully celebrated it. One could easily tell who _did_ by the hangovers they now had. Ace wasn't one to celebrate the new year, though the day _was_ significant to him. It was the day that marked nineteen years of life for him. He still had little reason to celebrate, as he often wondered if he should have been born in the first place. Ace had received a few wishes for a happy birthday from the crew, but had mostly gone about his day like any other.

The sun was shining brightly that morning and the air was brisk. Ace figured they would be nearing an island with either a winter or autumn climate soon. He was kind of hoping for autumn because he'd grown tired of snow on his birthday while living in Fuschia Village with his brother and Dadan. The day had been like any other, with much of the crew working to keep the ship going in the right direction to the next island. Ace had found the time to take a short break, and spent it watching the waves of the ocean in silence.

That silence was broken in an instant when a loud _pop_ sounded next to his ear and colorful pieces of paper flew past his head. Ace spun around, his heart racing, to see the grinning face of a young woman looking up at him. She was nearly half a foot shorter than Ace, with black hair nearly as short as his that always looked like it was tousled by the wind. Like many of Whitebeard's pirates, she wore his mark on her body, tattooed into her right shoulder. In her hand, she still held the shell of the popper that she had let loose. Ace shook his head at the young woman.

"Happy birthday, Ace," she said, her grin never leaving. Ace chuckled and leaned against the railing of the ship.

"Couldn't say it the normal way, could you, Hotaru?"

"It's your birthday and New Year's Day. I can't give you fireworks, so this was the next best thing."

"Why would you want to show off fireworks in the first place?" Ace asked. Hotaru laughed as she shoved the used popper into her pocket to dispose of later.

"Your birthday is on a holiday, so I wanted to do something that related to the holiday you were born on. The crew used to do the same for me when I was younger."

"How so?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My birthday is on March third, Hina Matsuri. When I was younger, I would receive a doll to set out to sea in the evening, and then the chefs would make a special dinner for the occasion. I'd never had any recognition for my birthday before joining this crew, so those memories are special to me," Hotaru explained, a small smile on her lips.

"These big tough-guys actually went out and bought a doll for you?" Ace laughed at the idea of someone like Jozu or Atmos picking out a little porcelain doll in some town they'd stopped in. Hotaru huffed and punched Ace's arm.

"Yes, they did. What was done for _you_ when you were a kid?"

"Dadan and her husband got drunk. It was New Year's Day; my birthday was pretty much overlooked."

Hotaru's smile fell, knowing how it felt to have the day she was born overlooked. "Sorry to hear that." Ace merely shrugged.

"Never bothered me. The closest thing Luffy got to a party was an extra steak for dinner," he answered with a chuckle.

"Well, that's changing today."

"What?"

"Emile is making something close to a feast, seeing as it's your first birthday on our ship. So, I'll say it again." Hotaru pulled a new popper from her pocked and held it up. She pulled the string and another pop resounded with more colored paper flying into the air, fluttering around her and Ace.

"Happy birthday, Ace."

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**As a side note, Emile is just some random cook I threw in to be part of Whitebeard's crew, seeing as none of them are actually named. You may also see Emile in another oneshot I wrote for One Piece, titled "Sleepy Waters". Anyway, please R&R.**


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